Navigation

GPS helps you determine exactly where you are, but sometimes important to know how to get somewhere else. GPS was originally designed to provide navigation information for ships and planes. So it's no surprise that while this technology is appropriate for navigating on water, it's also very useful in the air and on the land.

On the Water

It's interesting that the sea, one of our oldest channels of transportation, has been revolutionized by GPS, the newest navigation technology. Trimble introduced the world's first GPS receiver for marine navigation in 1985. And as you would expect, navigating the world's oceans and waterways is more precise than ever.

Today you will find Trimble receivers on vessels the world over, from hardworking fishing boats and long-haul container ships, to elegant luxury cruise ships and recreational boaters. A New Zealand commercial fishing company uses GPS so they can return to their best fishing holes without wandering into the wrong waters in the process.

The High-Tech Fish Finder

The old sonar fish finders have been around for a while, and they're pretty helpful when you want to find a school of rowdy largemouth bass. But what do you do when the ocean is your fishing hole and all those fish are your livelihood? An innovative New Zealand fishing company is using Trimble GPS to help them locate and land the catch of the day.

Scalord Products Ltd. have upgraded to NT200 GPS receivers and the Omnistar Differential GPS service to navigate to and within orange roughy fishing grounds. These fish live on underwater sea mounds and other geological features which are difficult to fish over. The speed and accuracy of the NT200 enables them to position their vessel and gear accurately, and safely fish these small areas.

The GPS receiver is interfaced with an acoustic trawl positioning system on two of the boats providing an exact geographical position of the nets. This is not only helpful when looking for a favorite fishing hole, but in avoiding any international boundaries that might be just a few yards off. "It was difficult to fish without GPS," said Sealord's Vessel Manager Richard Wells. "The Differential GPS service has improved its capabilities. We also fish Hoki where tow line accuracy is important."